President against a Republican rival, dislodging Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky鈥檚 primary and knocking out one of his most outspoken critics on Capitol Hill. Massie has been a particularly difficult thorn in Trump鈥檚 side, pushing for the release of the Epstein files, opposing the war with Iran and voting against Trump鈥檚 signature tax legislation last year.
Republicans are unhappier with Trump鈥檚 handling of the economy than they were a few months ago, but they鈥檙e largely continuing to stand behind him as the , a . About 6 in 10 Republicans approve of how Trump is handling the economy, according to the poll. That鈥檚 down from about 8 in 10 , before the war began.
Here’s the latest:
Cuban official responds to Rubio鈥檚 message to the people of Cuba
Cuba鈥檚 deputy foreign minister, Carlos F. de Coss铆o, took to X on Wednesday after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a video blaming the socialist government for the suffering of the Cuban people.
鈥淭he reason the US Secretary of State lies so repeatedly and unscrupulously about Cuba and tries to justify the aggression he inflicts on the Cuban people is not ignorance or incompetence. He knows full well that there is no excuse for such cruel and ruthless aggression,鈥� Coss铆o wrote.
Rubio, who spoke in Spanish in the video, denied that a U.S. energy blockade is to blame for daily outages lasting up to 22 hours.
鈥淭he real reason you don鈥檛 have electricity, fuel or food is because those who control your country have plundered billions of dollars, but nothing has been used to help the people,鈥� Rubio claimed.
In January, President Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba, which recently announced it has no more oil reserves.
Rubio appeals to Cuban people to accept US offer for a new relationship
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is urging the Cuban people to reject their current socialist government and demand a free-market economy with new leadership he says will chart a new course in relations with the United States.
In a video message released Wednesday, Rubio said there鈥檚 no reason the Cuban people cannot enjoy the same freedoms that others in the Caribbean have.
鈥淭his is not impossible,鈥� he said in a Spanish-language post that was recorded Tuesday ahead of an expected indictment of former Cuban President Raul Castro by the Department of Justice.
鈥淚f owning your own business and having the right to vote is possible around Cuba, why is it not possible for you in Cuba?鈥� Rubio asked.
鈥淚n the U.S., we are ready to open a new chapter in the relationship between our people and our countries,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd, currently, the only thing standing in the way of a better future are those who control your country.鈥�
GOP鈥檚 YOLO caucus is small but growing. That may spell trouble for Trump鈥檚 congressional agenda
In a Republican-led Congress defined by deference to President Trump, there鈥檚 a small but steadily growing cohort who鈥檝e found themselves more willing to break with the White House. Although the president maintains a firm grip on Republican voters, the expanding club could hinder his agenda on everything from the Iran war to immigration funding at a moment when his party holds a tenuous majority on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is the newest member of the club. Just days after losing his primary to a Trump-backed challenger, Cassidy on Tuesday on legislation involving the war in Iran and voted with Democrats to rein in U.S. military action.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas could be next after , Cornyn鈥檚 rival for the Republican nomination in next week鈥檚 runoff.
Rep. of Kentucky is perhaps a founding member of the YOLO caucus, having frustrated Trump since the president鈥檚 first term, and his status was solidified Tuesday to a Trump-backed challenger. Massie has enraged Trump by voting against his signature tax and spending bill and by pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
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Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie charted his own way, until toppled by Trump
The renegade Republican who rose to prominence as an idiosyncratic and stubborn outlier in his party, popular in the Kentucky district that repeatedly sent him to the House, lost his Tuesday after a vicious and costly attack by .
The stunning outcome caps a career like few others and shows the extent of the president鈥檚 ability to badger, badmouth and eventually boot out his 鈥� and that no lawmaker is apparently safe. Massie鈥檚 defeat comes after the Trump-led in Louisiana over the weekend and the president鈥檚 endorsement Tuesday of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his challenge to Sen. John Cornyn, which sent chills through the Senate.
Trump had reserved his fiercest attacks for Massie, a quirky conservative who鈥檇 become among the most powerful rank-and-file Republicans in the House because of his willingness to vote as he pleased, rather than as the party demanded. And now he鈥檚 been toppled like so many other Republicans who crossed the president.
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Trump regains some overall strength on immigration: AP-NORC poll
The issue of immigration may be reemerging as an asset for Trump, a suggests.
Immigration was one of Trump鈥檚 strengths early on, with about half of U.S. adults saying they liked his approach, but approval of his handling of the issue dipped after months of aggressive immigration enforcement.
Now, just under half of U.S. adults, 45%, approve of how he is handling that issue.
Immigration remains one of Trump鈥檚 stronger issues among Republicans. About 8 in 10 鈥� 83% 鈥� approve of his handling of the issue, which is slightly higher than the share that says he鈥檚 doing a good job as president.
Poll: Many Republicans are unhappy about the economy, but they鈥檙e still with Trump
Republicans are unhappier with President Trump鈥檚 economic approach than they were a few months ago, but they鈥檙e largely continuing to stand behind him.
About 6 in 10 Republicans 鈥� 63% 鈥� approve of how Trump is handling the economy in . That鈥檚 down from 79% in February, before the Iran war began.
About one-third of U.S. adults overall approve of how he is handling the economy.
That erosion isn鈥檛 translating to his overall job approval 鈥� roughly 7 in 10 Republicans approve of how he鈥檚 handling the presidency, similar to earlier this year. The findings highlight Trump鈥檚 continued strength within the Republican Party, even as economic frustration grows.
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For Vance and Rubio, the road to 2028 takes a turn through the White House briefing room
The earliest signals of a normally involve such subtle and behind-the-scenes positioning from candidates that it鈥檚 been dubbed in political circles as the 鈥渟hadow primary.鈥�
But the early Republican race to succeed Trump in just over two years鈥� time seems to be already playing out in one of the most public forums possible: the White House press briefing room.
Vice President , who is seen as for president in 2028, stepped up to the lectern on Tuesday, holding the spotlight for 54 minutes as he took questions from reporters.
It was five minutes longer than the turn taken two weeks ago by Secretary of State , the person currently seen as 鈥� or running mate 鈥� in 2028.
Vance and Rubio were tapped to fill in as temporary replacements for White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave. The chance to parry questions before news cameras was a high-profile opportunity to try to make a case that they should be elected commander-in-chief.
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US government agrees to drop tax claims against Trump in broadening of IRS lawsuit settlement
The U.S. government will permanently drop tax claims against Trump, according to a settlement document made public Tuesday, in an extraordinary use of executive power that could effectively help shield the president from further examination of his finances and legal conduct.
As part of the settlement deal meant to resolve Trump鈥檚 $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns, the U.S. is 鈥渇orever barred and precluded鈥� from examining or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump organization鈥檚 current tax examinations, according to a posted to the Justice Department鈥檚 website.
The government is also barred from looking into Trump鈥檚 family, affiliates and others, according to the document, which is signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. That document is a separate addendum from announced Monday, and was quietly added to the Justice Department website on Tuesday.
The White House referred Associated Press inquiries to the Justice Department, and the U.S. Treasury did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment.
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Georgia Republicans dig in for runoffs for Senate and governor as campaigns go into overtime
Georgia Republicans will keep duking it out among themselves as they head toward a runoff to pick their candidates for governor and U.S. Senate in the battleground state after Tuesday鈥檚 primary failed to produce outright victors.
The Senate runoff will feature former college football coach Derek Dooley and Rep. Mike Collins, while Rep. Buddy Carter was knocked out of the race. The winner will go up against in one of the most closely watched campaigns in the November midterm elections.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and healthcare billionaire Rick Jackson advanced to the runoff in the Republican primary for governor, extending their bruising and expensive campaign battle. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms clinched the Democratic nomination on Tuesday.
With about a month to go until the June 16 runoff, Republicans will spend more time and money competing among themselves before they turn their attention to their Democratic opponents in key races.
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Former political rivals head to rematch in Alabama governor鈥檚 race and runoffs for US Senate seat
Alabama will get a rematch between two high-profile nominees for governor, while candidates of both major parties will head to runoff elections next month for an .
Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville and former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat, easily won their respective primaries for governor on Tuesday, setting up their second head-to-head contest after Tuberville unseated Jones six years ago.
Jones was elected to the U.S. Senate in a special election in 2017, but his time in office was short-lived in the heavily Republican state. He is hoping voters鈥� frustrations with their Republican-dominated government, including on issues like healthcare and the rising cost of living, will propel him to another rare Democratic victory in the Deep South.
Tuberville鈥檚 decision to ignited a fierce battle among Republicans for an open Senate seat that is all but certain to stay red.
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Takeaways from Tuesday鈥檚 primaries: Massie鈥檚 loss leaves no doubt about Trump鈥檚 power over the GOP
Trump scored another win Tuesday against a Republican rival, dislodging Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky鈥檚 primary and knocking out one of his most outspoken critics on Capitol Hill.
Massie has been a particularly difficult thorn in Trump鈥檚 side. He pushed for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, opposed the war with Iran and voted against Trump鈥檚 signature tax legislation last year. to Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein following the most expensive U.S. House primary in history.
While Trump has racked up several wins this primary season, this one perhaps sends an even more forceful message to the president鈥檚 Republican critics. Massie was entrenched in his deep-red Kentucky district before his feud with Trump exploded, a congressional career that began in 2012.
Still, Massie will remain in Congress until his term ends in January, and without a Republican primary on the horizon, he now has a freer hand than ever to antagonize Trump.
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